Submarine rescue device



P 1943- J. F. DONNELLY 2,330,477

SUBMARINE RESCUE DEVICE Filed Nov. 6, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 28, 1943 J. F. DONNELLY SUBMARINE- RESCUE DEVICE Filed Nov. 6. 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenmr aha? 0/7//e Q I Sept. 28, 1943. J. F. DONNELLY SUBMARINE RESCUE DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 6, 1941 A v a m w H H w Inventor Attorney P 1943- J. F. DONNELLY 2,330,477

SUBMARINE RES CUE DEVICE Filed NOV. 6,1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Attorney Patented Sept. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUBMARINE RESCUE DEVICE John F. Donnelly, Oakland, Calif., assignor of one-fourth to Alice Sullivan and one-fourth to Etta McKenna, both of San Francisco, Calif.

Application November 6, 1941, Serial No. 418,078 3 Claims. (01. 11416.7)

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in submarine rescue devices and has for its primary object to provide means whereby the crew of a submarine may quickly leave the same and escape in time of danger.

A further object is to provide a, lifesaving boat adapted to be secured within the hull of the submarine in such a manner that it can be easily and conveniently released by the crew and operated from the inside of the lifesaving boat to detach it from the submarine.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a. top plan view of a submarine equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the lifesaving boat in the deck of the submarine.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lifesaving boat and well in the submarine for receiving the lifesaving boat.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a, similar view taken substantially on a line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the well in the deck of the submarine.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the releasing device for the livesaving boat.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting tube leading from the submarine to the lifesaving boat, and

Figure 9 is an end elevational view of the closure plate for the end of the escape tube positioned in the submarine. v

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where in for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the nu meral 5 designates the submarine which includes the deck 8 and having a well 1 formed therein.

Positioned in the well is a lifesaving boat designated generally at 8, the boat being in the form of a hollow buoy and including a top 9, bottom I0, end walls II and I2, and side walls l3. The top 8 of the lifesaving boat 8 occupies a position substantially flush with the deck 6 or the submarine, when the lifesaving boat 8 is positioned in the well I as shown to advantage in Figure 3 oi the drawings.

The lifesaving boat 8 is secured in position in the well by means of a bolt I l slidably mounted in a packing gland i5 secured in a housing IS on the inside of the end wall I l of the lifesaving boat, the inner end of the bolt being screwthreaded as shown at I! for engagement in a screw-threaded recess iii of a cylindrical boltoperating member i9 positioned in a tubular housing extension 20- secured to the housing l6.

On the inner end of the member I9 is a gear 2i operated by a pinion 22 and carried on a shaft 23 journaled in the side walls of a gear housing 24 secured to the housing extension 20, theshaft 23 being manipulated by a wheel 25 from the inside of the lifesaving boat 8. The outer end of -the bolt I4 is square or otherwise polygonalshaped in cross-section as shown at 26, and is slidably mounted in a complementary shaped opening 21 formed in the end wall Ii. The outer end of the bolt H is adapted for insertion in a socket 28 formed in the adjacent end wall of the wel Also as shown to advantage in Figure 3 of the drawings, the end wall II and the adjacent wall of the well 1 are curved to permit the upward tilting movement of said end of the lifesaving boat and said end wall II at its outer surface is provided with a roller 29 engaging the adjacent end wall of the well.

Projecting rearwardly from the end wall i 2 l are upper and lower spaced parallel guides 30 and SI adapted for receiving a roller 32 there.- between carried on a bracket 33 projecting into the well from an adjacent wall thereof. One of the rollers and guides are positioned adjacent each side of the lifesaving boat 8 adjacent the upper edge thereof, the rollers 32 serving to temporarily restrain releasing action of their associated end of the lifesaving boat while the opposite end thereof is swung upwardly upon releasing of the bolts l4.

To the bottom of the boat 8 is also mounted a plurality of rollers 34 to permit longitudinal sliding movement of the boat 8 in the Well, 1 when the boat is placed in position in the well and is moved in a direction for the engagement of the rollers 32 between the guides 30 and 3|.

A connecting tube, designated generally at 35, provides communication between the interior of the submarine 5 and the interior of the lifesaving boat 8, the tube 35 being composed of a section 36 having its walls welded in an opening 31 in a wall 38 of the well I and a section 39 like-' wise having its walls welded in an Opening 40 of the wall 12 of the lifesaving boat.

The sections 36 and 39 are open at each end, one end of the Section 36 being formed in its edge portion with an annular channel M for receiving the adjacent end of the section 39, a reaasaa'rr silient packing member 42 being disposed in the channel to provide a. liquid-tight connection between the abutting ends of the sections 36 and 39 as shown to advantage in Figure 8 of the drawings.

The other end of the section 36 is provided with a closure 42 which is positioned on the inside of the submarine and provided with a. plate 43 double hinged as at 44 and 44' to an edge of-the section 38- of the tube. An annular rib 45 is formed on the inner face of the closure 42 for seating in a channel 46 formed onthe' adjacent end of the tube section 36.

On the inner surface of the closure 42 is formed an eye 41 engaged by a bolt 48 extending through a locking bar 49 which i hinged at one end as shown at 50 andhaving its other end engageable with a lug 5| secured to theinside of. the section 36. The bolt 48 extends through; the locking bar 49 and is threaded as shown at 52 for threadedly receiving a nut 53 carried by a manipulating wheel 54 for moving the bar 49into clamping position with the lug 5|.

Likewise the end of the tube 39 disposed within the lifesaving boat 8, is provided with a closure 55 having on its inner surface anannular rib 56 adapted for seating in the groove 5'! formed in the adjacent end of the section 39.

A- screw 58 projects into the lifesaving boat 8 from the closure 55 and through a locking bar 59 extending transversely of the end of the tube, one end of the bar 59 being pivotedas at 60 and the other end of the locking bar being free and engageable by a catch 6| pivoted on the adjacent end of the tube section 39. The screw 58 is also provided with a manipulating wheel 62 and lock nut 63 for securing the bolt 58 in its adjusted posi tion after threading the bolt inwardly to clamp the closure 55 against the adjacent end of the tube.

In the top 9 of the lifesaving boat 8 is a hatch opening 64 having a closure 65 adapted for engaging the upper end of the opening, the hatch cover having a bolt 66 extending downwardly therefrom through a locking bar 61 adapted for extending transversely of the inner edge of the opening and clamped in position by a manipulating wheel 68 threaded on the bolt 66.

Port holes 69 are formed in the side walls l3 of the lifesaving boat and a ring 18 is also secured to the top 9 for lifting the boat 8 into and out of position in the well I, when desired.

A plurality of drain tubes H lead from the well 1, adjacent the bottom thereof, laterally through the submarine to the outside thereof for draining water from the well I when the submarine is in its surface position.

In the operation of the device, after the lifesaving boat 8 has been placed in position in the well I, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, the covers 42 and 55 are normally removed to provide communication of the crew from the interior of the submarine through the tube 35 into the life-saving boat 8 should the submarine be unable to raise itself to the surface. After the of the submarine and the interior of the body;

crew-have entered the life-saving boat 8, the closure 42 is then moved into position for closing the end of the tube section 36 and the closure 55 likewise moved into position for closing the end of the tube section 39. The bolt I4 is then retracted from its socket 28 through themanipulation of the wheel 25 and the end of the lifesaving boat 8 provided with the bolt l4 will then raise upwardly, after which the guides 30 and 3| will be'separated from the rollers 32 and the sections 36 and 39 of the tube 35 will also be Separated and the lifesaving boat 8 will then float to the surface.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the claim is:

1. A submarine lifesaving device comprising a well in the deck of a submarine, a hollow buoyant body positioned therein, a sliding bolt carried at one end of the body and operable from the interior of the body for releasably securing the body in the well, a separable sectional tube providing communication between the interior invention what I said tube including a section carried by the submarine and a section carried by the body, a closure for the first-named section operable from a position within the tube, and a closure for the second-named section operable from a position in the body, said body-securing means being operable to move the body horizontally in the well in a direction to engage the sections of the tube, and retaining means for an opposite end of the body and arranged to release said last-named end of the body upon a movement of the body in a direction for disengaging said tube sections.

2. A submarine lifesaving device comprising a well in the deck of a submarine, a. hollow buoyant body positioned therein, means operable from the interior of the body for releasably securing the body in the well and operable to move the body horizontally toward one side wall of the well, a separable sectional tube disposed horizontally at said side wall of the well providing communication between the interior of the submarine and the interior of the body, and including a tube section carried by the submarine and a tube section carried by the body, and closures for the inner ends of the respective sections, the outer ends of said sections being engaged by said horizontal movement of the body in the well.

3. A submarine lifesaving device comprising a well in the deck of a submarine, a hollow buoyant body positioned in the well, a locking device carried by the body at one end and engaging a wall of the well to secure the body therein, means onerable from within the body to release the looking device, said locking device exerting a horizontal movement of the body in the well during its locking operation, a sectional separable tube at a relative opposite end of the body from the locking device and providing communication between the interior of the submarine and the body, said sections of the tube being moved into engagement upon the locking movement of the locking device, and guide means between the body and the well-for guiding the body horizontally 'into a position for aligning the sections of the tube, said guide means cooperating with the locking device for releasably anchoring the body in the well.

JOHN F. DON'NEILY. 

